


Sybil/ Confess()

by FuryouMiko



Category: Transistor (Video Game)
Genre: Apologies, Confessions, F/F, F/M, Multi, New Beginnings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-17
Updated: 2015-11-17
Packaged: 2018-05-02 01:42:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5229098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuryouMiko/pseuds/FuryouMiko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the end, someone waits for them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sybil/ Confess()

Ears of barley brushed, ticklish, against her thigh as she strolled through the Country, hand in hand with her paramour. A soft, golden glow suffused the air around them, every perfect summer evening ever imagined distilled into its purest essence and poured into here and now. In the near distance, a barn, and beside it a cute little farmhouse.

Red couldn't help herself. Leaning into him, she closed her eyes, trusting him to guide them as they walked and began to sing softly. Even though it had barely been a full day since her voice had been stolen from her, having it back was more wonderful than their first time together... if not their most recent. Suddenly, he stopped, the movement travelling down his arm and up hers with a little jerk at its suddenness.

“Hm?” She asked, cutting off her nothing-song to look at him. When he remained silent, she followed his gaze to the white picket gate in the waist-high stone wall five metres before them... and, perched on the gatepost, a familiar figure in white.

She looked oddly bereft without the baleful stare of the little Process drone on her wide-brimmed hat. She held her parasol – no longer a deadly weapon, now a simple thing of bamboo and light wood – point-down in both gloved hands. Her chin was down, hat concealing her face.

“Sybil...” Red growled, clenching her fists and only a little surprised when the Transistor appeared in her grip. Of course it appeared, she was its administrator even from within.

“Red...” His voice was unexpectedly gentle as he put a restraining hand on her shoulder. “Look at her.” He murmured, and she did. Sybil's hands were tight on the crook of her parasol, her shoulders were trembling... she was... afraid? As well she should be, but... she looked more like a penitent ready to face judgement than someone about to enter battle with an enemy. And there... under the soft rustling of the wind in the leaves of the trees and the whispering of the barley, a soft sound... a sob.

“Is she... crying?” Red asked, whispering. Sybil heard her, hunching her shoulders in tighter. “Why is she crying..? She tried to have me killed... betrayed me from the very moment we met.”

Sybil definitely sobbed at that, a heart-wrenching sound that Red had never even suspected could be wrought from the glib throat that had flirted so easily.

“I think you should talk to her.” He murmured, cupping his hand around hers where it met the transistor. A moment later she let it fall from her grip, the echo construct vanishing before it hit the floor. She sighed, walking ahead of him.

“I'm listening.” She told the figure in white, who finally lifted her head to reveal eyes red from crying – but free of the taint of Processing.

“I'm sorry.” Sybil whispered, her voice rough. “I don't deserve forgiveness... for what I did... for what I tried to do. I never-” She had to stop to choke back another sob, the tears falling freely down her no-longer perfectly made up cheeks. “I never wanted to hurt you... Not you. Never you.”

“Then what were you trying to do?” Red asked, frowning and folding her arms.

“I told them you would be alone, you see..?” Sybil's voice cracked. “I thought that... you... after you met him, you turned away from me, you hid from me... he was turning you against... against me. So I told them you would be alone... A-and I made sure you weren't, so that... because... I...”

“Sybil...” Red murmured, blinking slowly, arms falling to clasp in front of her more neutrally. “What... are you trying to say?”

“I'm sorry.” Sybil wailed, losing her composure completely and falling to her knees, her parasol clattering to the floor as she raised both hands to rub at her face as if she could wipe away the guilt with her tears. “It's all my fault... I destroyed everything because... because...”

“Because you loved her.” He murmured, and Red felt it go through her like an arrow. Stolen glances... gifts... the white rose with that innocent note... 'love, Sybil'... the messages...

“Is... is it true..?” She asked, looking down at the pitiful, regretful figure on its knees before her. All Sybil could do was nod, that ridiculous, floppy hat quavering all over until Red lifted its brim away once more to see the blonde's hands covering her face.

"Yes." Sybil said, sobbing. "Yes, its true. I love you, Red. I love you I love you and because of that I lost my mind I lost everything." Her words were running together, uncomfortably similar to when she was being Processed - 

"Back then.... at the Set." Red started, then stopped, unsure how to say what she wanted to ask. She sighed instead, reaching out to lightly touch Sybil's cheek, feeling the dampness of her tears over the softness of her skin.

"Flying in circles just trying to land / I try to help you where I can..." Sybil said, her voice barely croaking through her ragged throat. "But I can't save you... I can't save you." She looked up at Red, bloodshot black eyes meeting conflicted cyan.

“That's not how the song goes.” Red told her, quietly. “You tried to kill him.”

“Yes.” Sybil whispered. “I did. I don't... expect you to forgive me. Or like me, any more... or... anything. I just... wanted...”

Red waited for her to finish her sentence, eyes never leaving the smaller woman's.

“I wanted... you to.. I thought you deserved... to know where it all went wrong.” Sybil finished, and as though the confession had taken the last of the fight out of her, she closed her eyes and looked down and away, pulling her cheek out of Red's hand. Red sighed, letting her arm fall to rest at her side.

“Sybil...” She whispered, shaking her head slowly. “You... are so foolish...” She finished, looking at her paramour for his opinion. He just shrugged.

“I don't think she was entirely with it at that point.” He murmured. “Love can... twist you up inside.” He explained, and Red nodded slowly before looking back at Sybil.

“I could have rebuilt it.” She said, at last. “Cloudbank. Fairview. Bracket Towers... but I chose not to. There was nothing worthwhile there any more. Cloudbank... was already in here.” She gestured around them at the Country. “We all... came to the Country in the end... so maybe... we can call it a new start.”

Sybil looked up at her, confused, then scrubbed her eyes on the back of her glove, as if it were a cheap shirt sleeve rather than an expensive opera glove.

“But next time... talk to me, first, ok?” She smiled down at her, and held out her hand. “Hello again, Sybil.”


End file.
